Overview

• Only 35% of respondents say people in East and West have largely grown together, while 61% see dividing factors as dominant.
• In eastern Germany, 75% perceive separation and just 23% say unity has largely been achieved, compared with 37% in the west.
• Generational gaps are stark: 25% of those aged 60+ see successful unity, versus 47% among 14–29-year-olds.
• A broad 85% say it remains important to engage with the history of the GDR and the SED dictatorship.
• The survey, commissioned by the Stiftung zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur, was conducted by Forsa from September 8–11 with 1,004 people aged 14+ and a ±3 percentage-point margin of error.